Man City fetches first masterpiece to Pellegrini

In a bizarre twist of fate during Carnival weekend, Sunderland was reduced once again to the role of David, having previously beaten Chelsea and Manchester United. But it was now the turn of Manuel Pellegrini's team in the big Capital One Cup final and City proved to be a mighty Goliath, too much for the underdog.

That said, Sunderland threatened to prolong its role as giant slayer and Poyet looked like he might topple Pellegrini. Sunderland took the lead after only 10 minutes thanks to Borini's opener.

City was on the run. Pellegrini's men had possession but not control, which belonged entirely to Sunderland. So much so that the 1-0 scoreline at the half-time interval somewhat flattered Manchester City.

The second half will be remembered for two crazy minutes and two amazing goals. After the break, City showed what it was really made of. The team didn't necessarily play any better, but it was enough. The players watched the clock tick by until Toure and Nasri broke the spell, scoring two absolute stunners.

Even so, the Black Cats didn't give up. They weren't scared, quite the opposite, they showed their claws. Poyet's team set upon its opponents with renewed vigour but to no avail. It was then that Toure struck the killer blow, setting off a counterattack that unleashed Navas, who was able to score City's third and put the result beyond Sunderland's reach.

Nevertheless, City was made to suffer before securing Pellegrini's first piece of silverware. After a tough week during which he had to put up with a lot of criticism, the sun eventually shone on the Chilean coach at Wembley.